Row over Israeli envoy’s departure underscores contentious relations

The unseemly diplomatic stand off between representatives of President Higgins, and Israeli Ambassador Boaz Modai, about why he did not receive an official invitation to commemorate his departure after five years as Israel’s ambassador to Dublin, just about summarises the contentious nature of his Irish residency.

As of yesterday, Ambassador Modai, who leaves for home at the end of the week, had not received a presidential invitation, although senior members of the Israeli embassy insisted that the DFA had been informed of his departure more than two months ago. However, officials in the Áras insisted they had not been either informed or approached about ambassador Modai’s departure and that if they had been, an audience would have been immediately arranged.

Without casting doubt about the veracity of either claim, it seems extraordinary that this type of confusion has occurred between the offices of the Irish president, and the ambassador of Israel.

It has been abundantly clear from the hostile position of Ireland towards Israel that the Jewish state is regarded as different. This was evident in the numerous times, Ambassador Modai had to defend his country from political, media and social attack by individuals, institutions and pressure groups over the last five years.

One would hope that this contentious relationship did not have any bearing on the last few weeks of the ambassador’s tenure, and that yesterday’s offer to facilitate a meeting between President Higgins and Ambassador Modai, is evidence that the confusion was genuine.

Dr Kevin McCarthy

Kinsale, Co Cork,